Changing Into A Hood
by Apollaskywalker
Summary: Why Dally became the hood that he did. Nonslash, and it starts with when he is born. Continues until his death.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **This is probably going to be my first long fan fiction (longer than my poems and other stories) Dallas is my favorite character in The Outsiders, so most of my work is probably going to revolve around him. If I get plenty of good reveiws I'll keep this story going until Dally's death. It may skip around because there are some parts I don't think are necessary to talk about (like the movies and the fight with Tim Shepherd) because everyone knows what happens. I will however talk about his death, because...it's an important part of Dally's story. I made up Mr. & Mrs. Winston's first names. I chose Austin because Dallas's first name is a city in Texas and there's Austin, Texas...I don't know why I chose Alice as Mrs. Winston's first name...oh well, if you don't like it, you can subsitute different names. I made up the time Dally was born (late January, you don't like it, change it or tell me when he was born and I'll edit the story so it's acurate.)

**Disclaimer-**I don't own The Outsiders. It's not mine! **No** person, place or anything in the story of The Outsiders is mine! IT'S NOT MINE!

Chapter One

Dallas is Born

Mrs. Winston was a petite woman with blonde hair. Her eyes were a soft blue. She looked like the woman who you would expect to have an adoring husband who never argued when asked to take out the trash. But, if you were to ask her how her husband was doing she would reply, "Well…I thought he was going to quit drinking…but he says that my pregnancy is what drove him to the bottle in the first place. I say, men can't seem to understand that you can't have sex and not suffer the consequences!"

Mrs. Winston (whose name was Alice) would talk about her baby all the time to anyone who would listen. He would be the next Einstein…the next Pope…the next great author. And she knew it would be a boy. Ever since she had discovered her pregnancy she had known that it would be a boy. She had spent hours reading all the books she could find at the library about raising boys and name books. She finally had selected a name she liked, Dallas Austin Winston. Austin, after his father. Alice hoped that Mr. Winston would love their child once he saw the baby. She certainly loved the child, though she had only seen him on an ultra-sound.

Mr. Winston had blonde hair as well, but his eyes were green. They appeared to be the color you would think of on a Dragon's scales. He was a short man with a beer belly. He drank beer twenty-four/seven but all the doctors told him he should stop. He never once listened to any of them. And this is what caused Alice to pray often that their baby wasn't going to be born with fetal alcohol syndrome.

It was about supper time in New York City and Alice was preparing dinner. A chicken was in the oven and she was scrubbing potatoes for a side dish. She smiled to herself and began to hum a hymn. Alice was quite religious (Catholic in fact) and she had bought a few things for her son that would bring him to the Lord as well. She had a Bible and a St. Christopher necklace that would be just the size for a baby so he would choke on it. She placed the potatoes in the oven and reached for a glass. She poured some water into it when a pain seized her and she dropped the glass. It shattered into thousands of tiny pieces and she stooped down to pick them up. Another pain seared and she cried out to Austin.

"Damn it, woman, what is it now!" he demanded, walking into the kitchen taking a swig from a beer bottle. He saw the broken bottle and demanded of her, "Why the hell did you go and break a glass! You know we can't afford to buy new glasses all the time!"

"The baby…" she gasped, holding onto the chair for support. Her knuckles were whiter than the snow falling from the sky at that very moment. Mr. Winston swore, but helped her to the car and drove off to the hospital.

---

Mr. Winston waited in the waiting room for his wife. He hadn't gone in to see his son when he was born. He just sat there, thinking about his beer and wondering why the blasted woman had to have the kid in the middle of winter. The end of January was approaching quickly, but it was still two and a half weeks away.

---

(A few hours later)

Mrs. Winston wiped her tears from her eyes and extended her hands for her son. The nurse (named Marie) placed the boy into his mother's arms and Alice leaned back against the pillows, her son resting his head on her elbow. He opened his eyes to her, but did not cry. He was silent, just taking in her appearance.

"Would you like us to go fetch your husband?" they asked her. But Mrs. Winston said no, not until Dallas was all cleaned up. She filled out the birth certificate and the nurse wrote down Dallas's name on a wristband and placed it gently around his wrist.

"Would you like to know how long he is and what his weight is?"

"Yes, please," Mrs. Winston slowly handed her son to the nurse. She sat him on a scale and read, "Six pounds three and a half ounces," she smiled at Dallas while she unwound her tape measurer. She laid the ruler along his body and read off, "Seventeen inches exactly!" She handed the boy back to his mother and Mrs. Winston kissed her son.

"My baby boy," she whispered to him.

Marie took the baby to clean him up and she took the blue sleeper with puppy faces on the toes and looked at Dallas. His hands were curled into fists. His eyes were blue (but not the ice blue they would be when he died) and his head was covered in soft blonde hair. She had almost thought he had no hair because it was so white. He merely laid there while she placed a diaper on him. He kicked his feet when she tried to place the sleeper on him and glared at her. But he didn't scream or cry. He just wiggled around so that she had a hard time placing the sleeper on him and finally she sighed and held his fists down while she fought with his kicking feet. Dallas giggled at her. Marie shook her head and said to Mrs. Winston, "Your son is going to break a lot of hearts, I can just tell."

Alice smiled as Dallas was handed to her, "I know…just like his father."

"Oh? Is his father as handsome as little Dallas here?"

"No…he changed after we married. I'm glad that Dally here wasn't born with fetal alcohol syndrome. I was so scared…"

"Do you drink?" the nurse asked, astonished.

"No…but I wondered if my husband's drinking would have anything to do with it…" she trailed off as Austin Winston walked in the room. He looked at his son and shook his head.

Mrs. Winston wondered if the head shake was in wonder or amazement. She was wrong.

"He's so ugly! I can't believe you didn't have an abortion!" Marie leaped back in astonishment. Her eyes widened and she took Dally away, "Why don't I take him down to his crib so you two can talk?"

She held Dally in her arms and walked out. Dally didn't cry, but a few tears slid down his porcelain white cheeks. She held him tighter and laid him down in his crib once she got to the infant's room.

"It's ok, Dally, shhh," she dried his tears with a cloth. "You'll be all right…your father _does_ love you." She smiled brightly to hide the fact that she was lying. One of the baby girls sat up and looked at Dally. He looked over at her and gave her the meanest glare that Marie had ever seen on a baby. She chuckled and wrapped the blanket around Dally, "You will break hearts, young man, you will."

---

(Two hours later)

Mr. Winston had gone home. Alice had watched his car leave. She looked at the window and sat there thinking. Her breath caught in her throat and she struggled to breathe. What was happening? Pain seared throughout her body and she called for the nurse. Another nurse came running and couldn't understand what was wrong. She gave Mrs. Winston a breath mask and Mrs. Winston asked to see her son.

The nurse ran down all the stairs to the Infant's room and yelled at the top of her lungs (waking every baby, except Dally) "MRS. WINSTON'S HAVING PROBLEMS BREATHING! SHE WANTS TO SEE HER SON!" Marie grabbed Dally and took the elevator to Mrs. Winston's room asking the nurse, "What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know! The doctor's looking her over and I could tell it's not good." She shook her head, "Did anything go wrong when she was giving birth to Dally?"

"I don't think so…I mean…" Marie shook her head and Dally gave a smile. It seemed to amuse him to see the nurses in an uproar.

Mrs. Winston took her son and took the breath mask off. She kissed Dally's forehead and slid the St. Christopher around his neck, whispering to him that she loved him and died.

Dally seemed to realize that his mother had died, and for the first time since he had been born he filled his lungs, opened his mouth and screamed.

Dally threw a fit, he was angry and sad, everyone could see that. He waved his fists in the air and kicked at invisible things. He continued screaming for as long as he could, then refilled his lungs and screamed again. Both nurses attempted to calm him down while the doctor picked up the phone and dialed a few numbers.

He told Mr. Winston that his wife was dead and that he'd need to come and pick up the child in three days time. The three days, he explained, was to ensure that Dally would be all right. He hung up the phone; his ear hurting from Mr. Winston's swearing and yelling.

**So what, should I continue with the story? Please reveiw if you thinkI should, please no flames! After all, if you don't like it, why bother to reveiw it?**


	2. Kindergarten

**Disclaimer-I don't own The Outsiders. IT'S NOT MINE.**

Chapter Two

Kindergarten

Dally was now five years old and his father ignored him. Dally didn't mind, he didn't like his father. His father didn't like him. Dally had been surprised when his father enrolled him in New York City's Public School. He had asked why and his farther had hit him.

"Don't ask why! It'll get you out of my hair, you ungrateful bastard!" Dally had shrugged his shoulders and went to his room. His St. Christopher necklace swung around his neck as he punched the wall, imagining the very spot he swung his fists into to be his father's face. Dally never cried anymore. Never, he didn't care. His eyes often flooded with tears, but they never fell from his eyes. He wouldn't allow it. Not ever.

It was the first day of school and Dally crawled out of bed, the alarm clock ringing. He had learned how to tell time early on. It was necessary for him to do so, because if he didn't, he wouldn't eat or anything. His father never cooked him food or bought groceries. Dally stole money from his father to feed himself. He kept all the change and would buy himself a candy bar every now and then. He also learned how to prepare food without getting sick. Dally was very independent, he had to be, else he would die. He dressed himself and went to the kitchen. He made himself a sack lunch and poured a glass of milk and a bowl of cereal. He sat down and began to eat. He checked his watch and placed his dishes in the sink. He grabbed his things and left, he didn't say a word to his father, just shoved his hands into his pockets and walked out of the apartment.

Dallas was still innocent enough to think his father actually cared. He wasn't rebellious yet. Still, Dally was tough; the older kids he met didn't know how to react to him. They could taunt him and he would punch them so hard they fell over. They could be nice to him and he would start to shake. Dally had learned that sweet-talking meant he was going to get a beating. His father did it all the time.

Dally walked into school, his hair uncombed, his teeth not brushed and he had no backpack. He didn't know how to read and he had no manners, so instead of asking for his room he demanded of the principal, "Where's the Kindergarten room, ass-hole?"

The principal was shocked. A five year old had cussed at him. He knelt down to be face to face with Dally. "Listen, son," he watched Dally flinch. He stopped and watched Dally glare at him, his body tense. "We don't talk like that here. Come with me and I'll take you to your room." He held out his hand to Dally, expecting him to take it. Dally shoved his hands into his coat pocket and stayed five steps away from him. He led him into the Kindergarten area and asked, "What's your name?"

"Dallas Winston," he said softly, not nearing him. He smiled at Dally and said, "I won't hurt you, Dallas."

Dally scuffed his feet on the linoleum floor. The principal knocked on each door and asked them if they had a 'Dallas Winston' on their classroom list. One teacher named Mrs. Gradia opened her door and smiled at Dally. "Come on in, Dallas! We're coloring pictures right now…what would you like to color? A dinosaur?" she held up a bunch of pictures. Dally took hold of the Tyrannosaurus Rex picture sat down at a table and took the black crayon. He scribbled wildly.

The principal looked at Mrs. Gradia, "I must inform you the young man swore at me."

"Did he really?" she asked, not at all surprised.

"You act like you suspected this."

"I read his file and met his father. His father cusses every other word. I imagine that Dallas picked up some bad habits from him. I'm going to do my best to teach him some manners." She smiled warmly and then shut her classroom door.

The students were all staring at Dally. One girl kept offering him a different color crayon. He ignored her and continued to scribble madly. Finally Dally had finished and Mrs. Gradia asked all the students to tell her about themselves.

It finally got to Dally and he stood up. "My name's Dallas Winston, call me Dally. I'm five years old. My favorite color is black. I want to be a jockey when I grow up. I don't want to talk to you all so just leave me the hell alone."

He sat down leaving the students with open mouths. "Dally," Mrs. Gradia said, "we don't use that language here, it's not appropriate."

"Why not?" he demanded rudely.

"It's just not…"

"My dad uses it all the time!" Dally claimed, standing on his chair, rocking it on it's back legs.

"That may be so…but none the less; it will not be tolerated here. And put that chair on all four legs! You don't want to get hurt!"

"I don't? How do you know what I want and don't want?" Dally asked, flicking boogers at the girl next to him. She shrieked and began to cry.

"Dallas! Stop that!" Mrs. Gradia yelled. "That's not nice."

"That's not nice!" Dally mimicked. "Who cares?"

She spent the rest of the day dealing with Dally. He had no manners at all. She looked forward to rest time and then laid out cots. She showed each student which cot was theirs and how they could tell by finding their name. Most students had brought a blanket and a pillow. Dally however, had not. He merely sat on his cot. Mrs. Gradia walked over to him and said, "Dally, it's time to rest. Lay down."

Dally cowered against the counter that his cot was by. He was leaning far back away from her. His eyes weren't the ice blue she had first seen, but a china blue that was filled with fear. She instantly felt sorry for him. He was afraid, of what she didn't' know. She sat down next to the cot and asked, "Do you want a pillow and a blanket?"

He didn't say anything. She walked away and brought him a spare blanket and pillow. She gave them to him, but he just let them sit on the cot.

"Dally, are you afraid of monsters?" she asked him quietly.

"No," he whispered back. She smiled and said, "Then go to sleep." She made the motion of reaching for his blanket to cover him and Dally jumped up and ran out of the room, screaming.

She started at her Teacher's Assistant and said, "Keep everyone in their cots, I'll go get him." The TA nodded.

Mrs. Gradia took after him and found him underneath the bench in the hallway. He saw her and ran through the halls screaming. A sixth grader stuck her head out into the hall to see what the trouble was. Dally grabbed her leg and hid behind her. She pulled her leg away and let Mrs. Gradia come to take his hand. Dally screamed, kicked, swore and punched. He bit her and she pulled her hand away in surprise. His teeth had broken the skin. She was bleeding, but she paid it no mind.

Kneeling in front of him she said, "Dally, what's wrong?"

He merely began to scream again. Finally the principal found him and helped the teacher take him back to class. She sank down in her seat and found herself thinking it would be a very long year…a very, very long year.

---

Throughout the year, the kindergarten teacher dealt with all of Dally's problems. Eventually he could sleep during rest time without the screaming and swearing.

He didn't give up swearing or fighting and often children would come to her crying. He never said a thing as he took his punishment. He didn't cry. When it came time for graduation he didn't go sit with his father.

Mr. Winston hadn't come. So Dally sat on the sidelines alone. He took his certificate and walked home by himself.

Slowly, very slowly, Dally was turning rebellious. He didn't stay at home for very long during the summer. He went outside and ran around, coming home very late. He ignored his father's drinking and swearing. But he picked up his father's vocabulary from when he was awake and home. Dally hung out with older boys who watched after him and taught him all he needed to know to survive.

**Next chapter will be when Dally joins a gang and gets in jail. **


	3. Rumble Trouble

Author's Note: I finally finished this chapter. Phew...and then the computer had some problems. I wasn't very happy, but it's up now! Yeah!

Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders. I DON'T OWN IT!

Chapter Three

Rumble Trouble

Dally leaped into the air and kicked. No one was around except for two boys. New York City was awfully quiet for New York, but Dally didn't notice that. He was waiting for one of the two boys to speak.

"You're getting good, kid," Mark said. Dally grinned, but the grin had turned bitter. It was no longer a smile…but then again, a smile had never graced itself upon Dally's lips. It was a smirk or an attempted smile. Never an actual smile. He looked at Mark, remembering meeting him.

Dally had been walking home from a restaurant in which he had just eaten a burger and fries. He'd stolen the twenty from his father; the only way he'd eat was to steal money or food. He had walked on and then suddenly, a group of kids had jumped him. They were armed with switchblades. He could picture the switchblades pointed at him, threatening him. Most kids Dally knew would have crumpled and began to cry. Dallas was used to the knives and things. Every now and then his father would hit him across the face with a lamp or anything he could get his hands on. It would shatter a few kids, but not Dallas. Dally could take it. He was going to fight with his fists when a kid with dark hair had burst into the scene with a bunch of other kids.

"What's he done to you?" Mark had demanded of him.

"He's got money," the other kid said, he was clearly the leader of the gang.

"Get lost, or we'll send you six feet under," Mark snarled, flicking open his switchblade. Dally had moved then, sinking his fist into the kid's back and the fight went on. Dally found that he could blow off steam. All the memories of the beatings he'd ever taken came out in frustrated waves and he pounded the tar out of the soc.

Since then they'd taught him how to fight, steal, get a fake ID and survive. He was becoming a good rumbler with anything he could get his hands on. They had given him a switchblade of his own, a black handle with red streaks. The blade was five inches long and very sharp. Dallas had accepted it without hesitation. He carried it in his back pocket. They had also given him a lighter and a book of matches. Soon he was smoking cigarettes, mainly Kools, still, it made him laugh to see his last name on a brand of cigarettes.

Ever since he'd joined the gang, he'd been in fights, but never an organized fight with a council yet. He'd seen people die on the streets and sometimes watch them die. It used to bother him, but it didn't any more.

"Come your tenth birthday, we'll take you to a rumble and a war council," James (the leader of the gang) told him. James had coppery hair and wore only sleeveless sweatshirts. He drank beer for fun. He smiled, showing off his missing teeth. He'd lost them in a rumble and often bragged about it. Dally felt grateful to be accepted by him. Most of the others had begun to realize just what a tough young man he was going to be. He felt the acceptance and realized what he was missing from his father who ignored him for all except a few occasions.

James handed him a beer and Dally took a swig. He felt the liquor slide across his tongue. It was a bitter taste and he wasn't that fond of it. Mark had assured him that he would grow to like it. Mark was right about most things, so Dally assumed that he was right about that.

---

Dally grinned wildly, this was his fifth gang fight. James approached him and asked, "You want to start the rumble, Dal?"

Dally smirked. He had proved himself to be a good rumbler and that meant he was needed. He nodded and took his place in the middle of the gang. _A rumble ain't a rumble without me_, Dally thought and stepped up. Another boy twice Dally's size walked next to him and Dally announced to the gang that was his opposition (who had filed into a neat line) "I'll take anyone who dares to take me on."

The tall boy smirked and punched Dally in the nose. Dally fumbled backwards, issued a few swear words and jumped for the guy's throat. The two boys soon were slugging it out. Dally punched the kid's nose and he was put into a headlock. Dally choked on blood, saliva, and the lack of air. Suddenly he heard in the distance a faint siren. Lights flashed and it took a moment for it to register in his mind.

_Someone had called the fuzz._

Everyone ran off, but Dally struggled to suck in air, catch his breath and run at the same time. The boy had also kicked him in the leg and he had twisted it while struggling to get out of the headlock. He couldn't run…

---

"Stay here until we get a hold of your folks!" the cop snarled at Dally.

Dally looked at the hand-cuffs clamped around his wrist. They smarted something awful, but they hadn't taken them off for him. Dally didn't smile, didn't cry, just leaned back against the seat. He had learned the hard way to keep his mouth shut. He kicked his feet back and forth while he waited.

"Your father won't pay the bail," the cop told Dally. "But since you're a minor, we'll only give you three days. Ok? You probably got hauled into this by accident. Ok?"

"Yeah, whatever," Dally watched them take his things.

"You can have these back once your sentence is up." He was told and they escorted him to his cell. Pervs called out to him and others laughed. Dally's face didn't change, he merely strolled along as if he had all the time in the world.

Dally sat down on the filthy bed and felt tears well up in his eyes. But true to his training by Mark and James, Dally didn't let his tears fall.

Dally stared at the small window far above him, moon light shining through. He felt something touch his arm and he jerked around. There was nothing there. He pulled the covers over his head and for the first time in his life, Dally uttered a prayer.

---

Dally's three days in jail had crawled slowly by, but it had now ended. He figured he would walk out and then around midnight, get back into his house and face his father. He was in for a beating that was for sure.

To his surprise, his father was there to pick him up.

"Get your ass in the car," Mr. Winston snarled at him.

Dally climbed in, and not once during their trip did he speak or sleep. Once he fell asleep he knew that his father would beat him.

His father slowed the car to a stop and said, "Get out!"

Dally opened his door and stepped out. His father rolled down the window and yelled, "Run, son of a bitch, run or I'll run you over!"

Dally heard the car start and he took off running. The car chased him down the street and down alleys. Dally stumbled once but continued running.

He collapsed in an old lot. He saw a set of car seats and a fire pit. Dally pulled out his box of matches and lit the fire. He pulled off his leather jacket and spread it over himself as he lay on the car seats.

He watched the fire burn slowly and tears burned at his eyes. For the second to the last time, Dally let the tears fall from his eyes, not stopping once to wipe them from his face.

He made a list in his mind of what he needed to do:

1. Stop crying.

2. Toughen up

3. Learn to live in this stupid town

4. Get along without an adult (as if he couldn't do that already)

5. Deal with what he could and meet people who could support him when he couldn't deal.

6. Don't care

Dally closed his eyes and attempted to sleep. He couldn't fall asleep and opened his eyes, watching the fire burn slowly away. Dally made no attempt to cry out to God, it felt like the Lord had abandoned him. He looked at his St. Christopher necklace and nearly hurled it into the fire. But it was the only thing else he had and it was the only gift he'd ever received. He placed it back around his neck and watched the fire smolder until he was too tired to leave his eyes open.


	4. The Curtis Boys Meet Dallas

**Author's Note: Thank you all for reveiwing. This chapter brings the gang to Dally. Sodapop, Darry, and Ponyboy all come in first! **

**Disclaimer-I do not own The Outsiders, IT'S NOT MINE! **

Chapter Four

Curtis Boys

"Can we please play football!" Pony pleaded with his older brother Darry. Darry glanced up from his math homework.

"Pony, I'm trying to work here!"

"It's Friday, Darry, please! You have all of the weekend to do your homework!" Pony protested. He held the football over Darry's math book. He smiled at him and fluttered his eyelashes.

"Pony, those eyes may work with mom and dad, but not with me!"

_Drat_, Pony thought, _huge eyes and fluttering lashes should always work!_ He changed his tactic, "Come on, everyone can play! Soda asked Steve and Steve said he'd play. I can get Johnny to play and I'm sure that Two-Bit wouldn't mind…"

Darry slammed his math book shut, "Fine…LET'S GO!" he yelled, grabbing the football from Pony and running out of the room.

---

Sodapop Curtis jumped up and down on the couch, waiting, but not patiently, for Pony to talk Darry into playing football. He jumped up and down, shuffling a deck of cards as he did.

"Soda, please stop jumping," Mrs. Curtis said exasperatedly. Soda flopped down on the couch and continued to shuffle the deck.

Darry came barreling through the living room with Pony chasing after.

"Darrel! You slow it down!" Mrs. Curtis yelled. Darry slowed down and Soda jumped him. Mrs. Curtis shook her head and glanced at her husband who merely smiled. "What did I ever do to deserve three rambunctious boys?" she asked him.

---

Ponyboy, Darry, and Sodapop all ran towards the vacant lot. Pony was far ahead of all of them and suddenly he stopped running. Darry stopped and Soda ran into him. "Why'd you stop?" Soda asked them, his voice muffled by Darry's shoulder. Soda stepped away, rubbing his nose. "I don't think my nose will ever be the same."

No one answered him so Soda walked around to see what the problem was.

A boy was sleeping on the car seats. A fire had burned down to the last smoldering ashes. The kid's coat had fallen off and he was shaking. Soda walked over to him slowly, wondering if he should wake him up.

"I'll go get mom!" Pony volunteered. "She'll know what to do!"

Darry whirled around to say they didn't need her, but Pony was already sprinting off towards the house.

Soda knelt down by the seats and Darry walked over, "Should we wake him up?" Soda asked.

"I dunno…" Darry could remember finding Tim Shepherd asleep in an alley once. He had just kept walking because all of the Shepherd gang was asleep. Soda gently shook the boy, but he didn't wake.

"He's still alive, right?" Soda asked.

"Yeah, see?" Darry pointed to the boy's rising and falling chest. "He's breathing."

"Well, that's good news," Soda admitted and looked up to see his mother walking with Ponyboy.

Mrs. Curtis sat down by the seats and shook the boy gently.

---

Dally opened his eyes, wondering if it was a cop coming to see if he was alive. He saw three boys and an adult woman. He felt confused for a moment, but then he decided that this was their lot and they wanted him off. He sat up.

"Are you all right?" one of the boys asked him.

Dally shrugged his shoulders. The youngest one was holding out his coat to him. Dally took it and slid it on.

"We saw you and wondered if you were all right." The lady told him. "Would you like to come with us to have some breakfast and you can take a shower?"

Dally had to admit that sounded pretty good so he stood up and jammed his fists into his pockets. She offered him her hand, but Dally didn't take it.

"I'm Ponyboy!" the youngest boy blurted out.

He raised his eyebrows, but didn't say a thing. The middle boy, Dally guessed, because he was shorter than the other, spoke up. "My name's Sodapop…Sodapop Curtis."

What was this? A family of weirdoes? Dally shrugged again.

"I'm Darrel, but my friends call me Darry."

Finally, a somewhat normal name! Dally just kept walking, he didn't care. It was on his list of things to do, and he thought he was doing pretty well.

"What's your name?" the lady asked him, leading him up some stairs.

"Dallas Winston, but my friends call me Dally."

She smiled and showed him to the shower, he didn't say a word, just walked in and started the water.

---

"We don't even know who he is!" Darry protested to his mother who was handing the bowl of pancake batter to Sodapop. She picked up the bundle of clothes that she'd selected to give to Dally. They hadn't been worn yet and Soda was grateful that he wouldn't have to wear it, he liked his old clothes, they were comfy.

"Darry!" His mother scolded, "It doesn't matter! He needs our help, so like it or hate it, he'll stay with us until we can get a hold of his parents." She exited the kitchen witht he clothes.

"What, do you think he's a robber or an ax-murder?" Ponyboy asked, pouring glasses of orange juice for everyone.

"No, but..." he sighed and flipped the bacon.

"Soda..." Pony's voice sounded strange. "What have you done...to those PANCAKES!"

"What's wrong with them?" Soda asked in confusion. He stared at the pancakes, they looked fine to him.

"What's right with them?" Pony countered, "They're...they're...GREEN!"

"Green?" Darry choked. He turned around to see a bottle of food-dye next to the batter bowl. The bowl was covered in a green liquid batter.

"Yeah!" Soda argued, "they're's nothing wrong with them!"

"Great," Darry muttered under his breath. "Now it doesn't matter if he's an ax-murder, Soda'll kill him anyway."


	5. Breakfast and Caring

**Author's Note:** This is probably the shortest chapter so far, but I wrote it late at night, and I was getting tired. It's also pretty upbeat. Finally something good happens to Dally. I can't let everything be bad!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Outsiders. Not mine!

Chapter Five

Breakfast at the Curtis's

Mrs. Curtis knocked on the door to the bathroom. Over the roar of the falling water she heard Dally's, "Yeah?" She opened the door and set the clothes down on the sink. He peered out from behind the shower curtain, soap suds in his hair. He saw the clothes and raised his eyebrows.

"Brought you some clothes, breakfast will be ready in a few minutes," she smiled at him.

He watched her leave. Hehad an incredulous idea, she actually cared for him. He shook his head through the stream of water. Not possible, no onecared for him, and no one would ever. He rinsed his hair and the water streamed down his face. He let his gaze wander to his bruises and cuts. He hadn't looked in a mirror when he got there, he wondered how bad his nose looked. He hoped it wasn't too bad. He didn't think he could stand to walk in town and get laughed at. He resolved to slug anyone in the nose who laughed at him.

Dally turned the shower off and reached for a towel. He toweled himself dry and slid into the clothes. He emptied his pockets and placed his only remaining belongings into his coat pockets. His knife, pack of cigarettes, money, book of matches, and his clothes were the only posessions he had left.

---

"Well, it's not toxic, Darry," Mrs. Curtis said to her eldest son about the pancakes. Mr. Curtis walked in and kissed his wife's cheek and gazed at the pancakes that sat upon the plate.

"Oh, Pepsi-Cola cooked this morning, eh?" he asked hugging his middle son. Soda grinned at him and Pony rolled his eyes.

"He's trying to poison our guest!" Pony exclaimed.

"Guest...what guest?"

Dally walked in and ignored Mr. Curtis's comments about him. He stayed away from Darrel Sr. He reminded Dally of his father. He didn't look like Mr. Winston, but Dally still remembered how his father had mistreated him. He suspected that all father's would be like that.

_I'll never ever have kids. I won't be a father! That way I can't abuse them...I'll say I don't like kids...nope, no way am I going to hurt one like my father hurt me. _Dally resolved and sat down at the place Mrs. Curtis had gestured for him.

"You'll be pleased to know that Soda didn't intend on hurting you and the pancakes are perfectly harmless," Mrs. Curtis said sweetly. Dally stared at the green pancakes and decided, _If Soda eats one, I'll eat one._

He took one pancake to be polite (he could still remember his kindergarten teacher) and took several slices of bacon. Mr. Curtis said the prayer and they all began to talk. Soda was bouncing in his seat while he poured syrup all over his green pancake. Dally watched him take a bite and he cautiously bit into his own pancake. Surprisingly, it didn't seem to be damaged.

Breakfast was soon over and Mrs. Curtis looked at Dally, "Would you mind accompanying me to the store?"

Dally shrugged and got up.

---

"Tell me, Dally," Mrs. Curtis said, "why don't you want to call your father?"

Dally had told her in the car he didn't want to talk to his father. He shrugged his shoulders and asked, "Why do you care?"

"Because I do care, Dally, someone should," she responded.

Dally stared at her and then before he could stop himself, blurted out the whole story of him growing up on the streets, staying out for hours with only a 'Bring me a beer' for an answer and the rumble. He told her about being driven to Oklahoma without sleeping because he knew he'd get beaten if he did and then nearly being run over.

Dally watched her wipe tears away from her eyes, "Dally, that's child abuse! You should have told someone in New York."

"Why? No one would have cared, you're the only one I've met so far who I haven't cussed out or anything and actually seems to like me."

Mrs. Curtis pulled Dally into a hug, he stiffened.

---

Mrs. Curtis and Mr. Curtis had set up a bed for him on the couch. They told him that he could stay as long as he needed to. Dally watched Ponyboy, Soda, and finally Darry hug their parents and get a good night kiss. Dally was so confused. He couldn't believe that they actually cared about their children. _Maybe all adults aren't so bad after all. _he decided, but he would still stick to his original idea. Mr. Curtis folded the paper, bid Dally good night and went to his room.

Mrs. Curtis covered Dally with the blanket that he had thrown off and said, "Good night," she went to leave but Dally stopped her.

"Why'd you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Kiss your sons good night?"

"Because...it's just...something that's done," Mrs. Curtis couldn't explain. It was something she'd always done. Something to reassure her sons that while they may have been wild, crazy, and driven her up the wall she still loved them. "Your father didn't do that for you, I guess?"

"No," he said shortly, rolling over to stare at the ceiling. He suddenly brightened and sat up, facing her, "Can I have a good night kiss, too?" Suddenly he felt crazy for even asking. She smiled at him, though and kissed his forehead.Dally smiled at her and said "Good night." She left and left Dally to ponder what made parents so different.


	6. The Gang and the Soc

**Author's Note: **Thank you to all the people who reviewed! Here is the next chapter of 'Changing into a Hood' it's not as 'adorable' (I quote that from a review...never would've thought of that word. Still, I repeat, thank you for reviewing!) This is where he meets the gang and has his first tangle with the socs. I might add that Dally and Johnny emerge victorious. He also makes a name for himself. It looks won't have any chances for me to update tomorrow, so I wish you all a happy New Year and hope that it will be more prosperous than the last (did I spell prosperous wrong? It looks funny...)

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders. I wish I did, but I DON'T!**

Chapter Six

The Gang

Dally never once said 'thank you' to Mr. and Mrs. Curtis. While he could remember everything about manners he had been taught, he just didn't think he could _not_ care and say thank you at the same time. Anyway, he had the feeling that they already understood.

Dally was watching the sunrise, something that surprised even him. But he had awaken early that morning and just couldn't fall back to sleep. He pulled his cigarette away from his mouth and exhaled a perfect smoke ring.

"Oh…I'm sorry," someone said behind him. A dark haired boy stood there. "Were you watching the sun rise?"

"Hell no!" Dally lied. "I was attempting to get my smoke to blow in different shapes." Now that was a stupid lie if he ever heard one.

"Hmmph," the boy said. "Never heard of that."

_Well, no, you wouldn't because I just made that blasted thing up, kid. Who the hell are you anyway? Not that I care. _Dally was quick to add that last thought.

"Well…um…" the kid seemed at a loss for words. "Do you know if Pony's up?"

"Who?"

"Ponyboy…I was wondering if he was going to play football today," the boy said.

Dally got his first good look at the boy. He had dark hair that stuck together with hair oil. He looked like he'd taken a beating recently. Dally felt his heart soften for the kid. He realized that the kid was awfully short, despite the fact that Dally thought he must have been only a year younger than himself.

"Who are you?" he asked bluntly.

"My name's Johnny Cade," he looked a bit afraid of Dally. It was almost as if he expected him to bite his head off. Dally tossed his cigarette butt to the ground and squashed it so the lawn wouldn't catch aflame.

"Dallas Winston," Dally offered him a cigarette. "Call me Dally."

"Right…so do you want to play football with Pony and the gang?"

"Gang?" Dally asked…this place just kept getting better and better. Johnny nodded enthusiastically and he knocked on the door. Ponyboy answered it as if he was expecting it.

"Hey, Dalla-y…" he paused wondering if it was ok to call him Dally. "You gonna play football with us?" Dally peered in to see Soda and Darry pulling shirts over their heads looking as if they'd just woken up.

"Sure…if you introduce me to the 'gang'," he used his fingers to make quotation marks. Darry grabbed the football and tossed it to Soda who barreled out of the house as if it were on fire.

"Is Sodapop always this hyper?" Dally asked Johnny. Johnny smiled at him and nodded. All four of them walked to the lot while Soda ran ahead, tossing the football into the air and jumping up to make the ball bounce on his head.

"Soda! Knock it off, you're gonna get yourself hurt," Darry yelled.

Dally wondered if this place held war councils and rumbles. If there actually was a 'gang' then maybe he could learn to like this place. A good rumble to blow off his anger at his father would do him some good. The war council would be a bonus.

"Hey, Soda, who's the bum you've got?" a boy asked pulling a switchblade out of his back pocket. Dally's hand went to his switchblade in an instant. No one was going to jump him with a blade without having one pulled on them in return.

"I'm Dallas Winston, got a problem with that?" he snarled flicking open the blade.

"Two-Bit Mathews," the boy said and he held out his blade. "Like it? Nicked it from a store," he proudly proclaimed.

Soda looked around and then asked, "Where's Steve?"

"Probably getting yelled at by the ole man, you know how it goes," Two-Bit shrugged. Dally was startled to learn that other people had parent problems as well. He had laid awake for a good portion of the night over that subject finally coming to the conclusion that he was the only exception in the world. Now he had to take it back.

Sure enough as they divided into teams another boy stumbled into the lot cussing. "Damn dad," he yelled to the sky. Soda stumbled forward as if to make the boy laugh at his clumsiness. Yet he said a few words to him and the boy calmed down. Dally noticed that Sodapop had a way of getting everyone to feel comfortable.

Steve approached him and held out his hand. Dally slapped his hand instead of shaking it like is normal. "Steve Randle," he told Dally.

"Dally," he smiled. He felt grateful to learn that this boy was like him in some ways.

They split into uneven teams but they seemed well matched for no one scored all during the game. Ponyboy stopped once to tie his shoe and Dally approached him, "You know…you've got quite the mom. She knows the score."

Ponyboy quickly agreed and then stopped. "The score to what game?" he asked.

Dally stared at him for a moment and then admitted, "The really fucked up one called _life_."

Pony nodded, finally understanding what he meant. "Yeah, my mom's golden!" he boasted.

Dally fiddled with his St. Christopher necklace and admitted, "Yeah…yeah, she is." What he wanted to say was 'I wish I knew if mine had been' but that would say he _cared_ which of course he _didn't_.

Dally watched everyone go home and Darry yelled at him, "Hey! Dallas, you gonna come with us or not!"

Dally turned around and hollered, "Maybe I'll just see what's in town!" Johnny stopped and walked over to him.

"You need a guide?"

Dally was all for telling him to get lost, but he shrugged his shoulders and strolled off, Johnny following him.

---

Johnny showed him everywhere. Dally was surprised to see that the kid knew all of it. "Why do you know this place so well?"

"I sleep out here sometimes," the kid admitted.

"You? Why?"

"The old man beats me and the old lady yells all the time." He stared at the ground.

"Hey, my dad did too."

"But your mom-"

"Died," Dally cut him off not wishing to discuss it further. But from that moment on Dally realized that he wasn't dealing with a gang of angry social outcasts, but a gang of friends who had a bad life at home. Sure, the Curtises seemed to be the only family that was intact, but he was sure they had problems as well.

Dally saw that Johnny avoided one place and asked, "What's there?"

"That's the socs side of town." Johnny's eyes grew big. "We don't want to go there!"

"Why not? It's a free country," Dally stepped onto the side walk and headed down the street. Johnny gulped but followed him.

"Hey, greasers! Get to your territory!"

Dally flipped the kid off and yelled a few obscene words to the boy. The boy gave a startled yell and walked out to the street to see him.

"You wanna repeat that to my face?" he demanded. Dally walked around him and said the obscene remark to the kid's back.

"What, you too chicken to say that to my face?" he snarled.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Dally said in the most polite tone he had. Johnny watched him with huge eyes. "I thought your butt _was_ your face!"

"Why you!" he pulled his switchblade from his pocket and Dally made two moves and the kid whimpered, holding his wrist. The knife had fallen into the gutter and Dally strolled out of their territory yelling, "MY NAME'S DALLAS WINSTON!" no one could not have heard him and he'd just made a name for himself.

Johnny was next to him, his eyes filled with reverence. "How'd you do that?"

"Learned to fight in New York City…but you're right, kid, we don't want to go there. Next time I tangle with them, I'll be on **_my_** turf." Dally vowed and muttered a few swear words.


	7. Sylvia, Shepherds, and the Hospital

**Author's Note: **Ok, I thought I wouldn't update until the New Year, but I was wrong. Here's chapter seven. The last half was brought to my attention by JamesDeanisMyGod, you brought it up and it made me think about it. So here's his reaction to the death of Mr. and Mrs. Curtis...the ending's a little bleak and perhaps too emotional for Dally. But oh well. I forgot to mention in my last chapter that the reason he was looking at a sun rise was because in Johnny's letter it says "I want you to ask Dally to look at one. I don't think he's ever seen one" refering to the sun rise. I took the 'I don't think' part as he may have caught him looking at one, but Dally said he wasn't. Thank you all for reviewing! P.S. I made up Sylvia's last name.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Outsiders.

Chapter Seven

Sylvia, the Shepherds, and the Hospital

Dally walked around town. He was fifteen now, not quite a man, but definitely not a boy. He liked being a teenager; he couldn't be tried as an adult yet, but no longer was he a kid to the cops. He got his picture and his police record in the paper often too. He liked being tall as well, he was taller than most of the gang, not Darry though. He also had a good build. For living on the streets and all he was muscular and he could tell that when he walked down the streets, girls checked him out. Of course, the socy girls stayed far away from him. He'd made a name for himself five years ago for confronting a soc on _their_ territory and living. Not to mention, he'd beaten the kid without a knife, just words and a few moves of his hand.

Dally didn't mind that the soc girls stayed clear of them. He didn't like them. They were too goody-goody for him. Which was probably why he'd ended up with Sylvia Moore. The blonde girl who swore and flirted with anyone she could. Yet, being tied down gave Dally an advantage that most boys didn't have. He could order someone around. Often, Sylvia didn't follow his orders therefore she got in trouble with someone else or worse. Dally didn't mind. He didn't care if she planned to leave him one day…he wasn't itching to fall in love with her. He'd rather fool around and have someone to fall back to if it didn't work out. Yet the major problem was that she'd made him give her his St. Christopher. Without it and without a ring girls assumed he was taken (which was correct, but he didn't want them to know that!) He vowed to get himself a ring so he could continue to flirt with others.

Sylvia wasn't all that bad…but still, she wasn't the type of girl Dally wanted to spend forever with. They'd hooked up at the Dingo last year. Dally still went to school, since he wasn't sixteen he couldn't drop out yet. But he was a sophomore and that meant class rings. Most girls preferred a class ring from their boyfriends because it spelled his name out on the ring. Yet, Dally couldn't get one. He had no hope of raising enough money to buy one when they came in. And he definitely wasn't calling his father and saying, "Hey, pop, listen, we haven't spoken in years…but can you ship me some money for a class ring?" No way…

He thought about asking the Curtis family for some money but they hadn't even bought their eldest son one and he doubted Mrs. Curtis liked him enough to buy him one. So that was out of the picture. Nope, Dally was going to have to roll a senior or junior or even a sophomore for it. He'd eye everyone's he saw and think about jumping them for it. He'd get the one he wanted, too, he wasn't going to settle for something less.

He stopped thinking when he saw out of the corner of his eye a boy trailing him with his switchblade out. Dally made a motion of relighting his cigarette so he could pull his switchblade out. _Be sneaky_, he reminded himself of all the jumpings he'd taken in New York. Dally heard the sound of speeding footsteps right behind him and he whirled around, blade out.

"Yikes!" the boy yelled and stumbled backwards. Dally rolled his eyes and helped the boy up from the ground to which he had fallen to.

"What's the matter? Not expecting anyone to fight back?" Dally sneered in the kid's face, ready to beat the tar out of him. He raised his fist to do so when another boy grabbed his arm. _So this was it, huh? _He thought, _trick me with a boy who acts like this and get me from behind!_

He jerked his arm away and prepared to fight them off.

"Damn it, Curly, you'd think you could pull off a simple jumping, eh? It's not that hard, stupid!"

"Who the hell are you?" Dally asked angrily.

"Name's Shepherd, Tim Shepherd, and this here's my brother. We run the Shepherd gang, perhaps you've heard of us?"

"Nope, and I've been in this place for five years now…you're not so significant." Dally sighed. He wished he knew everyone here like he did in New York. Now he had to learn how tough this gang was.

"You know," Tim said, eyeing Dally up and down, "you're quite the fighter. Want to join our gang?"

"No," Dally snarled, "I've got a gang, and I don't need you. I'm _my own_ leader." Dally turned away.

"All right," Tim said after slapping his brother's arm a few times (to which Curly yelled, 'Ow!') "But if you ever want to join my gang, invitation's still up."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Dally rolled his eyes and continued walking away.

---

(Two Years Later)

"Hey, Steve," Dally grinned at Steve Randle. Steve had the look on his face that he normally had on when his father kicked him out. "What's up?"

"Found a note on Sodapop's door," he said in a strangled voice.

"So?" Dally wasn't concerned. He struck a match and lit his cigarette, noticing that he was now down to his last cigarette.

"It said that they…went to the…hospital," Steve choked.

"What?" Dally reached for the piece of paper and read it for himself.

**Guys,**

**Mom and Dad are hurt. They're in the hospital. We've been with them for some time…Doc's not sure if they'll be ok…Darry let me go home and post this note. **

**-Sodapop Curtis**

The paper was flecked with tears. A mixture of jumped thoughts ran through his mind but one thing screamed the loudest:

**_Mom and Dad are hurt._**

Mrs. Curtis and Mr. Curtis were the only people who actually cared for Dally. He remembered his first day in Tulsa and how Mrs. Curtis had cared for him. He also remembered Soda's green pancakes. He tried to act like he didn't care, but his voice broke as he spoke.

"Let's get Johnny and Two-Bit and head down there," he said and he cursed his voice.

---

"Hey, are they ok?" "What happened?" "What's wrong?" the boys asked Darry, Soda, and Pony. Pony looked like he was going to bawl. Soda had tears in his eyes and Darry looked like he was watching his best friend tell him he was leaving. A pleading look…

"They went for a drive…" Pony choked on his tears. "You know…their anniversary and they got in an accident."

"How bad?" Steve asked, sitting next to Soda and rubbing his back in what he hoped was a comforting way. Sandy sat on Soda's other side, holding his hand. Soda burst into tears. "Bad…the doc doesn't think they'll make it."

Pony began to cry louder and leaned against Darry. "Say they'll be ok, Darry!" he pleaded. Johnny hugged Ponyboy while Darry just stared at him.

"I don't know, baby, I just don't know," his voice was quiet. He shuddered and looked at the floor. Everyone was quiet, even Two-Bit who couldn't crack a joke. Dally looked at the wall, wishing to punch it. He couldn't take losing someone else. Not someone who had helped him.

A nurse in a white coat walked over to the Curtis boys and said, "I'm sorry, boys, they didn't make it."

Sodapop gave into his tears and cried. Sandy laid her head on his shoulder, crying silently too.

Ponyboy wailed and wailed. Johnny hugged him and Darry stood there silently. He seemed too sad for tears. Two-Bit even began to cry. Dally saw Steve burst into tears, but didn't make a noise. Dally didn't cry or anything, though he hurt enough to cry. He just couldn't cry, he'd forgotten how to. He slammed his fist into the wall and kicked at the window, it didn't shatter like he had hoped it would. Instead of staying to comfort them…he ran down the stairs.

Dally just didn't think he could stay there to see them all dissolve…to see everyone cry.

---

(The Funeral)

Dally wore the best outfit he had, which wasn't much. He listened to the sermon and saw Pony and Soda bawl. Darry just stood there watching with a pleading look upon his face.

Dally had actually paid for two roses. It was the least he could do for them. He paid his last respects to Mr. Curtis and laid the flower into the casket. He was awfully sorry for the boys and hugged them all even though he wasn't the hugging type. He walked over to Mrs. Curtis and placed his rose in her hand.

_You were the closest thing to a mother I ever had…thank you. You cared for me when no one else would…I won't cry, I'll stay tough for you. I'll try to make it seem like I don't care…because if I do care then something awful will happen. Like how you cared for me and looked what happened to you! No good deed goes unpunished, that's the truth. No more good deeds for me, you can't win in this life and I bet you knew that, didn't you?_

_Ok, enough of this mamby-pamby baby crap. I'm a man, I can deal. No problem. _

He left that funeral home a changed man. Not for the better…but for the worse. No good deeds for him…not ever again!


	8. Jockey for the Slash J and Johnny

**Author's Note: **Happy New Year everyone! This Chapter is mainly about Dally getting revenge on the Socs and dumping Sylvia. The part about Johnny getting beat is rather short but it needed to be in there and there's not much to say that we don't already know.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Outsiders. I don't! I wish I did, I really wish I did...but nope! Not mine!

Chapter Eight

Jockey for the Slash J and Johnny's Beating

Dally walked to the vacant lot one night to see if anyone cared to head to a movie with him. He noticed Sodapop, Ponyboy and Steve all huddled around one thing.

It was Johnny.

Dally swore and turned away. He felt sick to his stomach and frowned. True, he had seen people dead on the streets of New York, but this was…this was personal. He actually knew the boy who had been beat up. He listened to Johnny's story and vowed right then and there to kill the boy who beat Johnny Cade so.

This boy was like his brother, he loved him like a brother. This pretty much was his brother…and nothing would stop him from taking revenge on the socs in any way he could.

---

Dally had gotten a job a while ago working as the jockey for the Slash J. His horse was a mustang and like what her breed's name came from (mestano, Spanish for untamed) she was untamed…just like him. They made quite a pair. She wouldn't respond to him until he began to swear. That was her Dally, it always would be. She came to whoever worked with Dally, which made Sodapop's day as he loved horses. Dally liked working with horses and it brought out the best in him. To people he would hate and be angry or bitter, but to animals he was a gentleman. He stroked the mane of his horse and laughed. "We're gonna win today, aren't we?" He swore and the mustang took his jockey uniform's sleeve in her mouth.

"Hey! Damn it, I need this uniform to _not_ be covered in horse slobber!" He never called his horse by name…to be honest; he didn't know the horse's name. He walked her to the start line and noticed his competition was all socs. Well, he could beat them in a fight; he could beat them in a race. He rode honestly and did his best to win; these socs weren't going to get him to cheat. He'd beat them fairly and then they'd see who the best was. He let lose a string of obscenities when he saw all the socs girlfriends hanging around by the horses. They saw him and started saying "Greaser" things at him, he didn't care. If he walked over to them and said 'boo' they'd jump and scream.

One of the girls was a red-head and she was hanging onto the arm of a soc with rings. He laughed at Dally and soon all of his friends were going as well. Dally looked at them and wished his uniform carried a pocket so he could have his blade. Or at least that Sylvia was there, to show that he _did_ have a girlfriend and wasn't a loner. But Sylvia wasn't there…now that he thought about it; he didn't know where she was. But that was fine with him. The soc with the rings came over to him.

"You're gonna lose today, greaser," he laughed and Dally wrinkled his nose at the boy's bad breath.

"Yeah…I can see that I'm gonna lose some reputations…" he jerked his chin at the socs's horses. The soc raised his hand, but then lowered it and laughed.

"I'll save your beating for later so you can be doubly beat!"

"Oh my, my…I'm scared to death," Dally did a fake tremor and laughed bitterly. "I'll take you anytime…bring your friends, you'll need them to cart you home!"

"That a threat?"

"Nope…it's a promise unless you want it to be a threat." Dally put his foot in the stirrup and swung his leg over his horse. She glared at the soc and stood up straighter as if to appear a better horse than all the rest. Dally almost laughed at how human his horse appeared to be.

They announced all of the racers and he of course was last. Last in the alphabet of their names, last in rank. But he would be first to cross that finish line.

"On the Arabian, Robert Sheldon," the announcer called. That was the soc with the rings, Dally noticed.

"And on the Mustang…Dallas Winston," Dally sat up straighter and tightened the reins in his hands.

---

"Good job, Dally!" Johnny yelled as Dally was brushing his horse. Dally, of course, had won the race. Dally smiled at him and Soda kept jumping up and down and asked, "Can I ride her? Please, please, please?" Soda begged him.

Dally shrugged and said, "Sure…just," he pulled out a few dollars, "buy her a few sugar cubes, not a lot, though!" He warned as Soda swung himself onto the horse and took off.

"He's horse crazy, isn't he, Darry?" Ponyboy asked.

"Yep," Darry was admiring the trophy that Dally had received. "But I guess mom and dad thought you would be because they named you Ponyboy."

"Hey, greaser!" everyone turned around to see the socs. Robert Sheldon stood in the center of them and yelled, "I know you cheated!"

Dally glared at him. He did not cheat. He rode honestly and fairly, they should be grateful that he had given them a chance to beat him. Heat of anger poured off of him in invisible waves.

"Want to say that again?" he demanded of Robert, standing close to him. He towered over the boy and he took what he hoped was an intimidating step forward.

"Bob," the red head said, "We're not looking for a fight-"

"Shut up, Cherry!" he snapped and raised his fists. Dally glared at him.

"Listen to the girl; she might be smarter than you. But if you want to continue, it's a good thing you brought her along…she'll need a box to put you in though."

Bob struck out at him and Dally blocked. He slapped Bob and soon there was a fight.

---

"Are you Dallas Winston?" the police asked him. Dally wiped his bloody nose off with the back of his hand.

"Don't you know me by now?" Sodapop offered Dally his handkerchief and Dally mopped the blood off of his face.

"Wish I didn't," the cop said darkly. "Did you attack Robert Sheldon?"

"No!" Dally yelled. Why did they always try to pin it on him?

"What happened?" the cop asked looking at his notebook.

Dally explained it all and everyone else told the exact same story. The cop merely said, "I have a report here that says you attacked Robert Sheldon."

"That's a lie!" as soon as he said it, he knew it was a mistake. They'd never believe him; he had a record with that must have filled up two filing cabinet drawers. For lying, stealing, cheating, the whole works. Nothing he could say would change anything because he was a greaser.

---

Dally looked at the prison cell, Home sweet home, he thought. All in all, prison wasn't that bad. He got free room and board, free meals, free showers, and the whole deal. There was just the boredom that he had to deal with.

About two days after his jail time had started (he was in for 90 days) the officer said, "Dallas, there's someone to see you." Dally lifted his head from his pillow. "What?"

They held out the handcuffs and Dally held his wrists out.

They led him to a room and said, "Remember, we're watching you." _Oooh, like I'm scared_. Dally sneered in his mind. To his astonishment Sylvia was standing there.

"Sylvia," he said. She looked like she hadn't slept, but he wasn't going to say that.

"Dally, I heard about this…it's really unfair…" she hugged him and the officer gave her a reproachful look. She backed away.

"Since when is it ever fair? Oh well, look, I'll be on my best behavior, try to get off early."

"Ok, I just wanted to see you and everyone says hello."

"Right, pass on my message of 'hi, this is boring, I want out' to everyone."

She smiled and promised that she would.

---

Dally got out early like he'd promised. He kept his promises, always did…everyone said he didn't but he did. He walked around town, looking for Sylvia and then he decided to go to the Dingo and see if anyone knew where she was.

"Hey, Dallas," a few greasers said, "heard you got in jail for beating the shit outa some soc."

"Yep," Dally sounded proud, but he really wasn't. But as his code; he lied. "Seen Sylvia any where?" He asked.

The greaser laughed, "Ohhh, yeah, I've seen her around. Little broad sure is two-faced when you're in jail."

"Huh?" Dally was sure he'd heard wrong.

"She's in there…next to the big greaser there," the greaser pointed inside the Dingo. To Dally's astonishment, yet again, he saw Sylvia. Yet to his disgust he saw her lean over and kiss the other greaser. He nodded to the greaser who'd told him and said, "Thanks, man, I'll deal with this."

"Bitch," he snarled to Sylvia. "Give me my Christopher back!"

Sylvia jumped and turned around, "Dallas…what are you doing here?"

"That's not the question, whore, give me my Christopher back, it's over, Sylvia." He held out his hand waiting for it. If he didn't get it back in ten seconds, he'd rip it off. She undid the latch and gave it to him.

"You can have the lying two-faced broad, I sure as hell don't want her."

Dally walked around town, trying to find a fight to blow off steam and heard someone yell.

"DARRY! DARRY! SODA!" Ponyboy was screaming for help.

Dally grabbed a hold of the overhand of the nearest house and swung himself over the railed fence. He landed funny but continued to run.


	9. Advice

**Author's Note:** Sorry this one's short, but I wrote it out last night after mom and I got back from a basketball game. It was my birthday too! So, I just jotted this down and now I'm posting it. I couldn't get it to save my disclaimer so I couldn't post it last night.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Outsiders. Make a great birthday present if Susie Hinton gave it to me, but alas...IT'S STILL NOT MINE!

Chapter Nine

His Advice

Dally knocked on Buck's door and Buck answered it, "Hey, Dally," he greeted. He smiled, "Ya bring Sylvia?"

"No," Dally told him shortly, "can I have a place to sleep?"

"Sure…" Buck drawled. Dally could tell that Buck was drunk. "Ya wanna girl from here?"

"No," Dally said shortly, "just a place to sleep."

Buck led him to a room and Dally closed the door. He pulled off his shirt and inspected his ribs. _They would be bruised a bit, but nothing too bad_ he decided. He lay down on the bed and attempted to fall asleep.

---

"Dallas," Buck shook his. Dally lifted his head from the pillow and asked, "What!"

"A Ponyboy and Johnny are here to see you." He said and shrugged, taking a drink of his beer.

"Did you bring them inside?" Dally stood up and began the walk to the door.

"No," Buck said. _That was a good thing_; Dally thought and opened the door.

"What do you guys want?"

"Johnny killed a soc," Ponyboy stammered through chattering teeth. Dally smiled.

"Good for you, kid," he laughed.

"I'm sorry I got you away from this party and all, but I-I just don't know what to do," Johnny looked scared.

"Oh, shoot, kid…I was in the bedroom." He stopped and looked at Ponyboy. His ears were turning red, "My but your ears can turn red, Ponyboy." Then he remembered what he normally did in the bedroom at Buck's parties. Well…he _wasn't_ Mother Theresa and he was entitled to a little fun now and then. "Shoot kid, it wasn't anything like that. I was asleep or trying to be. What with Hank Williams and all," he stopped and cursed. "I got into a fight with Shepherd tonight. Let me see what I can do, get in," he pulled on Johnny's jeans jacket and Ponyboy's arm. It was wet.

"Ponyboy, you wet?"

"I'm ok…" he stammered and Dally shoved both of them to the room.

"Stupid, take the sweatshirt off," he pulled open the drawer and fished around for his gun. He pulled it out and checked to see if he had placed bullets into it. He slammed it closed and passed it to Johnny, "Don't point that thing at me, Johnny, it's loaded!" He counted out some bills and gave them to Johnny and. "I ain't itching to be the one to tell your big brother about this and get my head kicked in," Dally snapped at Ponyboy. He could just imagine Darry throwing him around the house and busting his head open. He threw him a shirt, "Here it's Buck's, you and him aren't the same size but it is dry." Ponyboy slid it on and Dally leaned forward to tell Johnny the plan.

"Hop the three fifteen train to Windrixville, it's a freight," he began and then set them on their way. He watched Johnny and Pony climb into the freight and went back to his room. He tried to sleep but kept having nightmares about Johnny and Pony being found. He awoke to the sound of police sirens. "Shit," he cursed some more and threw on his shirt. He was tempted to climb out the window, but decided to pretend he was sleeping. The door flew open and Dally didn't open and eye.

"Wake up, punk," the cop snapped, shaking Dally. Dally opened one eye slowly and asked, "What's up?"

"Come with us, Dallas," the cop escorted him to the car and Dally wondered why the cop hadn't slammed cuffs onto his wrists.

He sat down in the car and waited until he figured they would think that they'd persuaded him to talk.

"They said…they were headed for…Texas…yeah, Texas is where."

They all grinned triumphantly and they left.

---

Dally wandered the streets, hands in his pockets. Finally he sat down on the bench by a store.

_They say I lie. Then why do they believe me? I never know why…_

_They say that I'm a liar, but I tell more truth than they think. Man, I don't get people. They make no sense. I'll never figure out what the fuck goes through their so called 'brains.'_


	10. Barbecue and Fire

**Author's Note:** This one's a bit longer. A bit sad. Dally drives like a maniac, I bet he parks like my sister...that's a joke! Sis, I don't mean anything! Thank you to all the people who reviewed!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Outsiders, no, Susie Hinton didn't call me and offer the book to me for my birthday (how unfair). NOT MINE...

Chapter Ten

Barbecue and Fires

Dallas Winston drove faster as he hit the highway. He would drive like a maniac, but the cops would follow him to get him to stop. He didn't want any of the cops to be near him. He drove around the small town, but didn't stop for directions. He was Dallas Winston, why bother to ask for directions when someone's going to tell you to fuck off? He turned onto a road that led up to a hill. He took a guess and was lucky, there was the old church!

There were no signs that anyone was there, and if Dally hadn't known this was the church, he'd have left. Instead he threw the car into park and walked quietly up to the church. He peered into the cracked windows and found the entrance of the church. He opened it and looked at the floor. Johnny and Pony were asleep on the floor. He nearly chuckled, Pony's hair was bleached blonde and he looked funny without his hair slicked back. Johnny's hair was thinned out and without grease. He bent down and tousled Ponyboy's hair. "Hey, Blondie, wake up." He shook Johnny, "Hey, Johnny, rise and shine!" Johnny and Pony sat up.

"Hey, Dally!" Ponyboy greeted.

He sat down upon the seat near the pulpit. "Hey, is the fuzz after us?"

"Is Darry really mad?"

"What-"

"Hey…hold it, one at a time, you guys hungry…I'm starving."

"You're starving! Try bologna for five days!" Johnny squeaked.

"Hey, I've got a letter for a Ponyboy Curtis."

"Who's this from?" Pony asked taking the sheet of paper.

"The President, of the United States of America," Dally joked. "It's from your brother Soda."

Dally asked Johnny for a cigarette and lit up. He watched Ponyboy read the letter and Pony wiped off a tear from his eye. Dally felt bad for the kid.

"Hey, Dally, what's up with the cops? Did you hear anything?"

"How come you got hauled in?" Pony asked him.

"Those boys at the station know me by now," Dally said it like it was a prideful thing, but he didn't feel proud. "While I was there, they sort of 'beat' it outa me that you guys were headed for…get this one…Texas. Texas, man, God!" Dally laughed.

"So you guys wanna get something to eat?" he asked, changing the subject.

"You bet," the boys said and followed him to the car.

The T-Bird sat there waiting for him and they climbed in. "Man, it'll feel good to get back into a car," Johnny commented.

"Well, I'll give you a ride for you money," Dally promised.

He started up the engine, it revved for a moment and then he took off at a speed of 95 MPH. Dally watched Johnny and Pony turn a bit green and he pulled out onto the highway.

"Hope you're in the mood for barbecue!" He yelled, making a ninety degree turn in three seconds.

"Two barbecue sandwiches, three Pepsis, one hamburger, and three fries, and three banana splits," Dally ordered and they sat in the car and ate. Dally swallowed a huge bite of his hamburger while Johnny and Pony sat there gulping down their sandwiches.

"Chill, guys, I got plenty of money. And here I thought I was hungry," he watched Johnny gulp it down faster. He brought them up to speed and finally remembered something important (something other than the rumble, which was the most important.) "I forgot to tell you, we got ourselves a spy."

"A spy, who?" Johnny asked, sucking up the last drops of his Pepsi.

"That good lookin' broad I tried to pick up the night you, ah, wasted that kid? The red-head," Dally didn't know her name.

"Cherry?" Pony gagged.

"Cherry the soc?" Johnny asked for confirmation.

"Yeah…" he told them about her saying she'd testify for them and letting them know about the socs plans. "Man, that little broad sure does hate me, I offered to take her over to the Dingo for a coke and she told me to go to hell. Man, next time I want a broad, I'll pick up my own kind."

Pony's face paled for a second. Dally sighed and looked around. He commented that it was boring and Johnny spoke up.

"We're going back to turn ourselves in."

Dally had bitten into his hamburger at the exact moment he said that. Dally swallowed halfway and choked on the burger. Unable to get it down he coughed it up onto the ground. "What?"

"We're going back to turn ourselves in. It was self defense, Pony and Cherry can testify to that."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure, it ain't fair for Darry and Soda to worry about Ponyboy all the time." Johnny waited for Dally's reaction. Dally didn't say a thing. "I-I don't suppose my parents are worried about me-"

"Hey, man, the boys are worried!" Dally threw in angrily. _I was worried, you're like my brother. I don't want anything to happen to you! We all were worried! _"Do you know that Two-Bit wanted to go to Texas to hunt for you!" His brow furrowed in anger.

"Dally, I asked if my parents asked about me," Johnny said.

"NO, THEY DIDN'T ASK ABOUT YOU! So what? Do you think my old man gives a shit if I'm drunk or in jail or dead in a car wreck! No, he doesn't care! But that doesn't bother me none!" Dally was pissed. He threw his fist against the console of the car. "You're-you're not goin' anywhere! I get you a hangout, a hideout, a hangout, and now you want to split, this is terrific." He threw the car in gear.

They headed for the church to get their things and Dally turned to Johnny for a second. Ponyboy was being awfully quiet. "Johnny, you don't know what a few months in jail can do to you! I just don't want to see you get mean in jail, like it happened to me, man." Dally pushed his hair from his eyes. His ice cold eyes seemed to melt for a second.

"Do you think I should spend all my life in that church?" Johnny asked Dally. Dally opened his mouth to say 'yes' but slammed on the break.

"Glory!" he said. The church was a blaze.

Ponyboy hopped out to see what the trouble was. "Get back here before I kill you!" Dally yelled, throwing the car into park and Johnny hurried out as well. Dally hurried over to them. They went into the church and Dally hurried around the back and began to tear the boards off the windows. The hot wood hurt his fingers, but he kept pulling them off.

"Here, Dallas, take this kid!" Johnny pushed a kid through the gap in the window.

"Get them and get out!"

Pony gave him a kid and soon all the children were out. Johnny shrieked and Pony turned to go back for him. Dally grabbed hold of Ponyboy and threw him out of the church. He swore and smacked his hand to Pony's back. Pony fell to the ground.

"Shit," Dally thought he'd broken his neck and bent to check on him. Johnny screamed and Dally hurried over to get him.

He threw himself into the window and hurried over to Johnny who was getting burnt pretty badly. Dally handed him out the window and the roof fell down upon Dally's arm and Johnny's back. They pulled Johnny out and Dally fell backwards. His wrist fell upon a smoldering board with hot ash. He didn't scream, didn't cry, just lifted himself out and tumbled from the window.

---

Dally's eyes opened. He didn't know where he was. He noticed some people and figured, _Shit, the police are here to take them to the electric chair. _He turned over to see Johnny's face, not burned but they were giving him a few things through needles. Dally couldn't tell what they were. The medical technician was wrapping his arm. The tightness of the cloth hurt his wrist, but he just lay there watching it all happen.

"Is he going to be ok?"

The med tech looked startled to see he was awake.

"We certainly hope so."

Dally felt tears well up behind his eyes, but didn't let them fall. He merely glared at the roof of the car, anger building up.

_Be ok, little buddy, be ok. I can't go on without you._


	11. Hospital Stay and the Rumble

**Author's Note: **This one was hard to write. I kept stopping and going, I can't do this. I wanted to make it good enough so people would read the rest, even though they know the end. But yet that wasn't what made me stop. I feel like a murderer, getting ready to shoot somone. I don't want to shoot anyone. It's kinda scary really, to know that I can write my last chapter this very day. To know that unless someone asks for when they bury them it's almost over. Now I want to cry. If I write the last chapter now, I know that I will cry. Sad...how very sad, I'm crying for someone who's not real! This is pathetic. PATHETIC...but, then again, I'm very emotional, what can I say? If anyone's a Star Wars fan then you'll understand what I mean when I say I cried when Order 66 was executed and Vader did his march on the Jedi Temple...and I cried throughout the rest of the movie, too. That's just pathetic...

Thank you to all of those who reviewed! I hope you enjoy this chapter (I hope you don't cry because you know what's coming next.)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Outsiders. And for once I can say I'm glad, because I don't want nasty letters from people telling me I'm a murderer for killing Dallas Winston and Johnny Cade. I do not own The Outsiders. Susie Hinton does, blame thier deaths on her, NOT ME!

Chapter Eleven

Hospital Stay and the Rumble

Dally was pulled out of the ambulance on a stretcher. He ran a hand through his hair as they escorted him into the hospital. He saw Ponyboy sitting there and he closed his eyes. Ponyboy was ok.

"Hey, Dally," Ponyboy reached out to touch his arm to let him know he was there.

"You ever pull a stunt like that again and I'll kill you," he threatened. They set him up in a room and he watched the nurses take his temperature, blood pressure, and they set him up with a few things.

Dally spent a lot of time hassling them. They all filed out and the reporters came in and fired a few questions at him.

"Name?"

"Dallas Winston, see the police file cabinets!"

"Age?"

"Seventeen, no longer fuckin' 'sweet sixteen'!"

They asked him question after question until they left. Dally leaned back against the pillows. He was surprised to find that he was exhausted.

---

He awoke in the morning to the nurse saying, "Mr. Winston, you have a visitor."

Tim Shepherd walked in the room. "Hey, Dally, you know, you've got an article in the paper."

Dally grabbed it and scanned it. Tim continued, "Nothing about being wanted 'Dead or Alive' in it at all. You're a hero? Jeez, get tired of being a wanted man?"

"I'm wanted!"

"By your mother," Tim chortled. "Not by the fuzz this time, or by the girls either."

Dally didn't let Tim know that the remark about his mother was really hurtful, he just said, "Go fuck yourself."

Tim laughed, "By the way, the Rumble's tonight. Don't suspect you'll make it. You chicken out? That why you burned your wrist? Desperate attempts, eh? That is sad, Dallas, just admit you're a coward."

"I'm not a fucking coward! I'll beat the shit outa you!" Dally threw back the covers and started towards Tim.

"Hold it…" Tim held his hands up in a sign of surrender.

Dally threw the paper in the garbage along with his hospital gown. "Damn thing," he cursed. "I'll make it to the Rumble one way or another!" he promised.

Tim Shepherd just laughed and laughed. "I'm gonna go see Johnny."

Dally shrugged, "See ya around, Tim. Tell Johnnycake I said 'hi'."

"Will do," Tim left.

---

"What happened to your gown?" the nurse asked Dally, eyeing his bare chest.

"I threw it away," Dally snarled. "Get out, get out, you make my stomach sick."

"Oh, I'll be so glad when you're gone," the nurse told him, leaving the room.

Ponyboy and Two-Bit walked in. Dally laughed at the nurse's retreating back.

"Hey, Dally, how ya doin'?" Two-Bit asked.

"Doin' all right," he answered and Two-Bit tossed a Mickey-Mouse stuffed animal on his chest.

"Swiped ya a gift," he told him. Dally tossed the stuffed animal between his hands for a moment and then sat up, placing the animal on his nightstand. He closed the door and walked back to his bed, the floor felt cold beneath his bare feet. He slid onto the bed.

"I'm thankful you guys are here, this place gives me the creeps. I want out!" he snapped at the door. He leaned back against the pillows and pulled the covers over himself. "Tim Shepherd came by to see me, said he saw my picture in the paper and couldn't believe it didn't have 'Wanted dead or alive' written underneath it. He started rubbing in about the rumble. Man, I hate missin' it." He grabbed his pants from the side of the bed and flipped through them and his jacket to find a package of cigarettes. He didn't have one and he turned to Pony. "Got a cigarette, Pony?"

Pony tossed him the whole pack. Dally went to light up but couldn't find his lighter. He stopped hunting for it long enough to say, "Man, I thought I'd killed you the other day. I meant to hit you so you'd fall to the ground and I could put the fire out. When you fell I thought I'd broken your neck and killed you…glad I didn't though," he added thoughtfully.

Pony looked startled. Dally stopped talking and licked his lips nervously…finally Dally asked, "How is he? How's Johnny doing?"

"Well…uh, I'm no doctor, but he didn't look to good. He passed out cold right before we left." Dally saw that Two-Bit avoided his gaze. Anger and fear crept up his spine. He rolled over and his cigarette crumpled. He threw it and lay there, staring at the wall. Finally he spoke up.

"You still got that knife on you?"

"What?" Two-Bit asked.

"The knife," Dally repeated, holding out his hand. "Give it to me, will ya?"

Two-Bit flicked it open and laid the handle of the switchblade into Dallas's open hand. Dally spoke as he studied the blade, "You know, we gotta win that fight tonight. We gotta beat those socs!" He slammed the knife down on his wrist and did it again. The knife didn't go in far enough because it didn't start bleeding a lot, just showed blood. He turned around, "We'll do it for Johnny, man! We'll do it for Johnny!" He snarled the last and lay against the pillows. He raised the knife to his forehead and pressed the blade against his head. Dally sighed and watched Pony and Two-Bit file out the door. He didn't blame them for leaving.

---

"What time is it?" Dally asked the nurse. She told him and set down a glass of water for him. He reached under his pillow and flicked open the blade. "Back away," he told her. She did and he slid into his jeans, knife in his mouth as he zipped up and did the button. He grabbed his jacket and slid it onto his body. "Stay away, I'm leaving."

She stared at him with horror. Dally hurried from the hospital and tried to find a car. He jumped in one and drove around.

It was dark and he had the lights on. He approached the lot and noticed everyone was lined up. He threw the car into park and hopped out.

"HOLD UP!" He screeched, "DON'T YOU KNOW A RUMBLE AIN'T A RUMBLE WITHOUT ME?" He demanded of them and hurried to join them. The Rumble started and Dally threw a punch at a soc. The soc went down and Dally started on another.

This one punched his eye and he slammed his fist into the soc's gut. The soc slammed his fist into his mouth and Dally spat blood onto the ground as he pummeled the soc to the ground.

He never fell to the ground, not once. He was a wounded man who was afraid of Johnny dying, but none the less he took out several socs.

The rumble finally finished and he found Ponyboy on the ground with bruises and a bleeding face.

---

Dally helped Pony out of the car and his arm nearly gave away with the pain. Pony nearly fell and they walked up to the floor with Johnny.

"Johnnycake?" he asked, wiping his upper lip. He told him about beating the socs and Johnny beckoned to Ponyboy.

"Stay gold, Ponyboy…stay gold…" his pillow sank back and Dally stared in shock. Johnny…couldn't…be…_dead_. No, it wasn't possible. He pleaded and begged, tears welling up in his eyes.

"BASTARDS!" Dally cried, flinging his fist into the wall. He stared at Johnny's dead body and he raced from the room. Tears that had fallen only a few times before fell from his eyes with such ferocity that Dally was nearly blinded.

_No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, No, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!_

---

Dally pulled up to a store and hopped out. He had made up his mind. This was going to be the last store he ever robbed. He tore up the magazine and held out the gun to the store clerk. He paled and Dally demanded for the money.

The clerk gave him the cash and Dally raced from the store. He stopped at a pay phone and dialed the Curtis's number.

"Yeah."

"Darrel?" Dally's voice was raspy.

"No, it's Steve."

"Steve? I wanna talk to Darry," Dally felt his throat tighten and swell.

"Hello," Darrel's voice came on the phone.

"Darry, it's me, I just robbed a store. The cops are after me, man," Dally tried to speak louder.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, Johnny's dead."

"We know."

"Look, meet me in the park all right?"

"We're on our way."

The phone's clicked and Dally took off. The cop cars approached him and he jerked the gun from his jeans' waistband. He hurried along, the wind whipping the back of his blue jeans jacket…

This would be the last time Dallas Winston ever tried to outrun the police.


	12. Death Takes her Victim

**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Outsiders. I don't own the Dictionary either (see? I put in some definitions for my author's note which is very long and at the bottom) I don't own either books!

Gallant Gallant" (?; 277), a.

Polite and attentive to ladies; courteous to women;

Chivalrous.

Chapter Twelve

Death Takes Her Victim

Dally hurried through the park and he heard the cop yell, "Drop it!"

Dally pretended to aim the unloaded gun, "YOU'LL NEVER GET ME ALIVE!" The cops all shot at different times. Each of the five bullets ripped into him. One shot him directly in the chest. He crawled slowly to his friends.

"Pony?" he asked, everyone else was fuzzy.

That would be the last time Dallas Winston ever breathed. He had taken his last.

The last time he'd ever get his name in the police records.

The last time he'd ever laugh had been in Windrixville. No longer would he cry, laugh, or even joke. Dallas Winston had been desperate, and young…

He crumpled under the streetlight…but gallantly.

For Dallas Winston had been gallant until the end.

Dallas Winston was dead.

And no one, not even the police would smile. Even Death couldn't take her victim with a smile like all the rest of them.

The police officer took up Dally's gun and opened the chamber, curious to see why he'd never fired a single shot, though he had the gun.

He paid no attention to the boys screaming at him and the one that passed out. He turned to the other cops who were bagging up the body and searching it.

"It's not loaded," he said. Dallas Winston had died in vain.

**Author's Note: **I started this off with a definition. I had always known what 'gallant' meant, but I started to wonder exactly what the official definition was. I also wondered how it tied in with Dally's death. Well, it doesn't really seem to be that way with the definition that I found. 'Polite and attentive to women, courteous to women.' Well, I'm sorry Dally, but you were not paying any attention to the women when you decided to end your life! Some of us really liked you and look what you did! You got yourself killed! And then there's chivalrous. Just what does that mean exactly? I've used the term before but I don't know the exact definition: Chivalrous Chiv"alrous, a. OF. chevalerus, chevalereus, fr.

chevalier. See Chivalry.

Pertaining to chivalry or knight-errantry; warlike; heroic;

gallant; high-spirited; high-minded; magnanimous. Ok…yeah, I can see how that ties in. 'Warlike' I'd use 'heroic' as well. Ok, I see now how it is used to Dallas's death. And now I'm in tears. Come on, girl, get with the program! You knew when you started this you'd have to write the death scene. Ok, most of this chapter is my author's note. Pathetic! And I honestly can't say I hope you enjoyed this chapter because if you do…personally, I think you need help. I FEEL LIKE A MURDERER! I just killed Dallas Winston…(cries hysterically.)

Anyway, I've written a long story called 'Life Among the Outsiders' it's about a girl named Gaia Schultz and she and her two friends get sucked into The Outisders. I saw that someone else had written one like it today, but this one has been written since like…October. If you think I should post it, say so. Thanks for reviewing and reading this (and I'm sorry that Dallas Winston had to die!)


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